Justice News

Top Executive Of Miami Beach Manufacturing Company Convicted In Multi-Million Dollar Investment Scheme

Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Michael B. Steinbach, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, announce that Craig Stanley Toll, 64, of Pembroke Pines, was convicted today by a federal jury. Specifically, Toll was convicted of two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1349; three counts of substantive wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343; one count of major fraud against the United States, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1031; one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1957; and three counts of making false statements to a United States government agency, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1001. Toll was acquitted of 12 counts of wire fraud.

According to allegations in the indictment and the evidence presented at trial, Innovida Holdings, LLC, was a Florida limited liability company located in Miami Beach. Innovida manufactured fiber composite panels for the construction industry for use in the construction of residential, commercial, governmental, and other structures without the need for cement, steel or wood. Innovida purported to be a rapidly expanding and financially strong international operation with facilities in the United States, the United Arab Emirates, Germany, Angola, Tanzania, and other countries. Co-defendant Claudio Osorio was the president, owner and majority shareholder of Innovida. Defendant Craig Toll, a licensed CPA, was the company’s Chief Financial Officer.

According to the indictment and as shown at trial, between March 2007 and March 2011, Osorio, Toll and others offered and sold shareholder interests and joint-venture partnerships in Innovida to select individuals and groups, raising more than $40,000,000 from approximately ten (10) investors and investment groups located in the United States and other countries. Osorio, Toll and others solicited and recruited investors by making materially false representations and concealing and omitting material facts regarding, among other things, the profitability of the company, the rates of return on investment funds, the use of investors’ funds and the existence of a pending lucrative contract with a third-party entity. Osorio received moneys from investors based on these misrepresentations. In addition, Osorio used investor monies for his and his co-conspirators’ personal benefit and to maintain and further the fraud scheme.

The indictment further alleges that between January 2010 and March 2011, Osorio, Toll and others applied for and obtained a $10,000,000 loan from the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (“OPIC”), a U.S. government agency that promotes U.S. government investments abroad to foster the development and growth of free markets. The purported purpose of the loan was to build a manufacturing facility and 500 homes in Haiti for displaced families in the aftermath of the January 2010 earthquake. The indictment alleges and the jury found that Osorio, Toll and others made materially false representations and omissions concerning, among other things, the profitability of Innovida, the purported use of the loan proceeds, an equity contribution to be made by Innovida, and contracts that Innovida purportedly had obtained with third-party vendors. Osorio used the OPIC loan proceeds to repay investors and for his and his co-conspirators’ personal benefit and to further the fraud scheme.

Codefendant Claudio Osorio pled guilty earlier to two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the FBI. Mr. Ferrer also commended the efforts of the SEC-Miami Regional Office, for their cooperation and assistance during this investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lois Foster-Steers and Kimberly Selmore.